Last supper requests from the Dubai food media community
What would you request as your hypothetical last supper? Alongside desert island dishes, every now and again someone asks me this question. A little morbid, in particular given the dreaded C circumstances, but always a fun, intriguing insight into people’s food tastes and personality. Plus, we could certainly do with a laugh right now.
Earlier this month, leading UK restaurant critic, Jay Rayner, published a book on exactly that, by documenting his lifetime journey of favourite and memorable dishes, culminating in a real staged supper with friends.
“I tell the stories of the killer dishes that would end up on my table: how I was introduced to oysters by my late mother; how I almost burnt down a hotel because of my love for snails in bubbling garlic butter; of the many ways by which the mighty pig has fed me over the years.” – Jay Rayner.
Inspired by Jay’s book, which makes a witty and riveting read by the way, I sought out imaginary last supper requests from Dubai’s foodie media community. 16 of this town’s most trusted food voices. I asked these gourmands to share their ultimate final meal – home cooked dishes or restaurant experiences. Or both. Their very own #MyLastSupper. As long or as short in word count as they preferred. Amusingly, in contrast to a different feature in June, where I asked for the opinions of chefs and restaurateurs, these foodies here know how to tell a prolific story, so be prepared for a damn good read. And hopefully, a little inspiration for when you’re looking to dine out. You’ll have to scroll to the end for my choice, which, frankly, changes every day. The beauty of online publishing is I may choose to update as often as I like 😉
What would you wish for in your ‘last supper’? The perfect dinner ‘party’ question.
Here you go – in alphabetical order:
Claudia de Brito, journalist & consultant:
- Blue cheese naan – Indian Accent, New Delhi. As clever as it is delicious, this little flavour bomb embodies the restaurant’s concept and sets the tone for the rest of the meal as any good amuse bouche should.
- Neptune’s Folly (with local Dibba Bay oysters) – The Maine Oyster Bar & Grill, Dubai. I’m a firm believer that any seafood restaurant worth its salt should have a head-turning fruits de mer platter. One of the first restaurants to support local Dibba Bay oysters, this is definitely the case here.
- Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato (clams in olive oil and garlic) – O Ramiro, Lisbon. People often think of bacalhau when they think of Portuguese cuisine, but to me this clam dish represents the best of what it has to offer – simple flavours and fresh produce with nowhere to hide.
- Harissa prawns – Carine, Dubai. Though the actual prawns are lovely, the real joy of this dish is in crushing the heads and soaking up the juices with lots of crusty bread.
- Mushroom claypot rice – Reif Japanese Kushiyaki, Dubai. Packed with umami and textural nuance, this is probably the one dish that could convince me to give up meat.
- Côte de Boeuf (medium rare) with crispy roast potatoes and heirloom tomato salad – Hill & Szrok, London. A lot of restaurants like to say that they are ingredient-driven, but this small herd butcher and cookshop is one of the few places that lives up to the claim. The small chalkboard menu changes daily and the big cuts are where they really shine. When I go, I ensure that I’m hungry and with friends.
- Luma’s burnt Basque cheesecake – Dubai. Hype can be dangerous, but the hysteria surrounding this dessert is completely deserved. I’m not a dessert person but it is velvety, subtly perfumed with orange blossom and impossible to resist.
- Wines: Aphros Phaunus Pet Nat, Vinho Verde, Portugal and Esporão Reserve, Red Wine, 2016, Portugal.
- Espresso: Boon Coffee, Dubai.
Courtney Brandt, founder, A to Za’atar:
- While I’ve been fortunate to have enjoyed pre-degustation snacks in memorable locations around the world (Test Kitchen in South Africa and Vinkeles in Amsterdam remain among my favourites, even years later), in these Covid times, it’s my mum’s amazing spread of hors d’oeuvres and aperitivo on the back porch of my childhood home that I am missing the most. She somehow is always able to blend the perfect amount of cheese, dips, spreads, crackers, fruit and charcuterie.
- Much closer to home, I’d have to sit down for an inventive tasting menu at Tresind Studio. Chef Himanshu and his talented team always surprise me, and I love not only their presentation but also Sherine John’s creative cocktail pairings. Might I also slip in a pasta dish from Chef Domenico from Alici? Well, it’s my last supper, so yes, probably.
- Honestly, I’m much more a savoury person than I am sweet. Although I have the utmost respect for pastry chefs and the absolute culinary art they are able to create, of all the sweet dishes I’ve enjoyed, there was a distinctly amazing egg nog (!) served at Sühring in Bangkok that stands the test of time. A recipe passed down from the twin chefs’ grandmother, I had not only seconds – but thirds!
- Finally, a shout to Lindsay of The Tasting Class, who I would love to have not only at the table, but also to create a wine pairing for the meal — starting with a Champagne saber, naturally.
Dina Maaty, editor, Hotel & Catering News Middle East:
- All the dishes on Trèsind Studio’s 507-course menu: From jelly pops in mini guitar spoons, to the ‘honeymoon’ dessert served literally “on the moon”, it would be difficult to pick just one dish from the journey that you experience at this Indian fusion restaurant. If I had to, however, I would go for the dal. I mean, who knew lentils could be so sexy.
- Koshari: You can take the girl out of Egypt…well, whether you have this dish in a plastic box or your favourite china, in bed or at the street food spot right around the corner, you can’t go wrong with so many carbs in one plate.
- Publique’s pierrade: Thin slices of meat cooked on a heated stone, on your table, by you? I’m no Wolfgang Puck, but I sure know how I like my meat. And the sauces, oh the sauces…
- Oysters at The Fish House, InterContinental Dubai Festival City: No stranger to oyster goodness, I had a Nurse Ratched moment in there (thank you, FooDiva, for bringing those into my life). I didn’t know the anatomy of a proper oyster, but I sure do now.
- The Chedi Al Bait, Sharjah Resort’s mastic ice cream: I would drive all the way to Sharjah just to have this at their cosy ice cream shop. Served on a bowl of ice, this beats every treat you’ll ever try – especially on a hot summer afternoon.
Food Sheikh, anon food writer: ‘My Last Supper’ requests are a lot of fun despite the concept being linked so strongly to imminent death. However, if 2020 has taught me anything, it’s that you have to be prepared for everything. Chefs have been playing this game with one another since the beginning of time – it might even be a mandatory interview question for every commis chef applying for work. Ultimately, it’s brag, though, isn’t it – a boast to show how well-travelled you are, how thoughtful you are, or how talented or conscientious you are. Your response to this question is a reflection of you and how you want to be perceived by the world. Therefore, it’s a super important question – almost as important as your Facebook profile, your Tinder bio, or your LinkedIn update.
Do I go for a meal that shows my knowledge of fine ingredients combined with my native-like understanding of exotic places? Then, I would for sure order line-caught oysters from Agrabah’s northern coastline, drizzled with the juice from a just picked lime from Asgard’s orchids. Or, do I want to be perceived as a dedicated, healthy eater who makes good dietary decisions no matter what? Then, my choice would be a free-range egg white and organic kale omelette with a spirulina seasoning. Or do I show that I am a family man, reflective, honest, and kind, and request my mum’s homemade tuna casserole and grandma’s Victoria sponge. Alternatively, I could go humble, unpretentious, and somewhat biblical and ask for some simple bread and wine. Or down-to-earth, relatable and cool, then it would be a dirty burger or tacos, with some fries and plenty of soda.
In reality, though, I would order none of those things. I think the best last supper would have to be a Dubai Friday brunch with extended hours. You see, only a Dubai brunch, with its all-encompassing, wide-ranging menu, could deal with my roller coaster of emotions, my indecisiveness, my fear of missing out, and my capacity to self-indulge.
Helen Farmer, senior presenter, Dubai Eye 103.8FM aka The Mothership:
- Rivington Grill’s prawn cocktail with a glass of Veuve.
- My mum’s lasagna with a bottle of The Chocolate Block red wine.
- La Petite Maison cheesecake, which was our wedding cake.
Jen Sahi, food blogger, Dubai Food Diaries: My last supper would be a glutinous Asian feast celebrating my heritage and featuring some of my favourite foods and dishes that I enjoyed with my family while growing up.
- My grandma’s homemade Taiwanese sticky rice stuffing with dried shrimp, Chinese sausage, chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms and Chinese five-spice – my grandma always used to make this time-consuming dish in large quantities for special occasions, like Christmas and Thanksgiving. She’s since passed the tradition to my mum but somehow it’s not quite the same!
- Sheng Jian Bao from Yang’s Fried Dumplings, Shanghai: My dad was born in Shanghai and I have fond memories slurping up soup dumplings with him when I was young.
- Kagoshima Wagyu skewers from Reif Japanese Kushiyaki, Dubai: I spent six months in Japan and love nothing more than freshly grilled, well-marbled Wagyu. At the time, I could only afford to share a single Kobe beef skewer from a kiosk, but for my last supper it would have to be an abundant supply of Reif’s more decadent version with truffle.
- Cantonese roast duck from Joy Hing, Hong Kong: My dad grew up in Hong Kong and instilled in me a love of Chinese BBQ. On my last visit to Hong Kong, we had a delicious and memorable low-budget meal at a packed Joy Hing, sharing a tiny communal table and eating off melamine plates.
- 50 Shades of Earl Grey boba milk tea from Labobatory, San Gabriel, California: I have family that currently lives in this Chinese community which is full of excellent Asian restaurants. This tea has always been one of my favourites, and even better when it’s grey and Instagrammable.
Laura Coughlin, head of content, What’s On:
- Nasi Lemak – House & Co, Kuala Lumpur: Always the first stop, before even getting to my family home, is House & Co for an enormous plate of Nasi Lemak. It’s a proper concoction of flavours with coconut rice, chicken drumstick (or breast if you arrive too late for the good stuff), sambal, peanuts, ikan bilis (fried salty fish) and a boiled egg. It’s basically a bit of everything, and the flavour profile can border on aggressive, but it tops my ‘favourite dish in the world’ list.
- Xiao Long Bao – Jia Jai Tang Bao, Shanghai: I’d fly across the world and queue for an hour for two baskets of the original piping hot soup dumplings at this hole-in-the-wall. Made fresh by eight old ladies in a tiny kitchen, these cost pennies for a basket of nine.
- Truffle pizza – Il Borro Tuscan Bistro, Dubai: To save space, I’d ditch the crust and eat only the middle of this cheese and truffle triumph.
- Side of dad’s triple-cooked chips: Made from Maris Piper potatoes, cooked lightly once, dried off on a clean tee towel and repeated in hotter and hotter oil. Then sprinkled in sea salt.
- Side of Brussels sprouts – The Maine, Dubai: Probably more butter than vegetable, but let’s face it, that’s what makes them magical.
- Cheese toastie – Lowe, Dubai: Opting for cheese over a sweet dessert, I’d end on a high with this. It’s probably the cheesiest most calorie-laden dish of deliciousness I’ve had this year, and I’m obsessed with it. Properly toasted toast, butter on all sides, a thin layer of Vegemite and all the cheese.
Lindsay Trivers, CEO, The Tasting Class:
- I’d start with Buffalo wings doused in Frank’s Original Red-Hot, washed down with Alexander Keith’s Nova Scotian lager. Before the craft beer revolution gripped Canada, at 75 cents more than other beers, Keith’s was all class. My cousin Brad loved this beer so much that he wrote a song about it that has become my family’s war-cry.
- Then, salted Kettle Chips. As a kid, my mom encouraged me to eat chips instead of candy for a healthier option. Eating them is like crunchy mediation. I’d enjoy with Pol Roger NV Champagne. The chip’s saltiness creates the perfect platform to enhance the wine’s fruit and smooth its acid.
- Next is pho. I struggled in Vietnam thanks to culture shock, jetlag and burning my leg on a motorcycle exhaust. Pho, a heaving bowl of rice noodle soup, topped with sliced beef, chilli, lime and aromatic herbs, changed everything. I’d pair this with Clare Valley Riesling. Its high acid matches the lime, while its lower alcohol complements rather than intensifies the chilli.
- My husband wooed me over Korean barbeque with his impressive Korean language skills. (I now know that his mastery is limited to ‘Hello, Korean people’ and ‘Old man, bring me kimchi and lettuce,’). Korean BBQ is a busy meal of sizzling meat, bowls with loads of sauces, sides and pickles for endless flavour combinations.
- The finish – a cheese platter with wine pairings. Goat cheese with premium Bordeaux Blanc. Brie de Meaux with Meursault. Cantal with a Coonawarra Cabernet. And Stilton with Sauternes.
- For more of Lindsay’s rationale, have a read here.
Matt Broderick, guest reviewer, Fine Dining Matt: Quite simply, the three dishes that I think about the most and would love again (but I don’t, because I do not want to ruin the memories).
- Starter from Chez Roux at The Cromlix, Scotland: Watercress and spinach soup, with soft poached hen’s egg and aged parmesan tuile.
- Main course at Le Peron in Marseille: Bouillabaisse soup (includes rockfish, John Dory, monkfish, hake).
- Dessert at any of Adam Handling’s restaurants in London: Yuzu dessert.
Natasha Faruque, freelance content creator: My last supper would be full of comforting favourites. Food that feels like a hug — and given that I’ll be signing off, I don’t even need to think about the calories.
- The best meals always start with a bread basket and end with dessert. No meal for me is complete without some iteration of these two elements. So, I would want to kick off with Red Lobster’s Cheddar bay biscuits. They brush the top with a light scampi butter – it doesn’t taste fishy at all but gives it a distinctly umami taste. Definitely not a fine dining pick perhaps but a basket of cheddar and garlic carb heaven. And it’s free.
- The Doritos Dynamite at Tresind Studio: I rarely leave a multi-course degustation menu thinking about when I could eat it all again. That is exactly how I felt when I recently tried Tresind Studio’s Food Truck Chapter 4 iteration. From the peanut butter and jelly tart to their take on the Covid-staple banana bread and lamb birria taco, every dish was memorable. But the one I instantly wanted another portion of was their take on Doritos; its flavours were reminiscent of spiced, crunchy nachos, plated up as the prettiest of butterflies.
- Chez Ma Cousine in Geneva: Full disclosure – it could have been that I was shell-shocked by this city’s pricing, but perhaps that is why my visit to Chez Ma Cousine stood out. They have one item on their menu — the most succulent free-range roast chicken with Provençal potatoes and salad — and they do it impeccably, at a bargain price.
- I have a serious sweet tooth so find it difficult to pick a favourite dessert as I tend to finish even the most mediocre ones. But two of the most delicious treats I had recently were tubs of ice cream from home-grown Canvas Gelato (all their flavours like pistachio baklawa, black sesame and karak are fantastic, but my top pick is yuzu cheesecake as I love a citrus hit) and the multi-layered toasted coconut cake at Miss Lily’s.
Sally Prosser, food & travel writer, My Custard Pie:
- A few fresh oysters with lemon. Paired with Camel Valley ‘Champagne-style’ sparkling. Whipped butter with pork crumb from The Cornish Arms in Tavistock with Vanilla Sukkar‘s multigrain sourdough bread.
- Chicken gyoza with yuzu jelly and and crispy skin from Reif Japanese Kushiyaki, plus his melon pickles.
- My mum’s roast pork, crackling, cabbage, gravy, roast potatoes and roast parsnips.
- Very torn between homemade blackberry and apple pie with custard, or sherry trifle (lots of custard).
- A cheese board: Pave Cobble from Whitelake. A Somerset Farmhouse Cheddar (either Keene’s, Montgomery’s or Westcombe). Baron Bigod. A Cropwell Bishop Stilton from Country Cheeses. Plus something from Cheesy Carla. Grapes, ripe figs, Carr’s water biscuits and Peter’s Yard sourdough crispbreads.
- Wine matches: The sparkling would see me through until starters, although I could sneak in a dry, crisp Riesling like Weingut Rebholz, Domaine of the Bee, Les Genoux – a small producer that we’ve enjoyed for years. A vintage Burgundy Vosne-Romanée with the roast. A Hungarian Tokaji (5 puttunyos) for dessert and with cheese.
Sarah Hedley Hymers, travel TV presenter & editor: What to have as a last supper is such a delicious question, I chewed it over for quite some time.
- To start, I’d have one last bite of chef Himanshu Saini’s genius. Head chef at Tresind Studio – Dubai’s finest restaurant, in my humble opinion – Himanshu is the king of the mushroom appetiser. I never miss a season of his tasting menus and now I’m left torn between his ‘mushroom chai’, a truffle-infused consommé of such satisfying depth, served with a plump umami-loaded mushroom ravioli, and his miniature ‘morel sandwich’, truffle-infused mushroom sandwiched between feather-light meringue, the top pointed like the dome of the Taj Mahal. This iconic landmark is the mausoleum of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal who died in childbirth, so perhaps the most fitting culinary epitaph.
- Skipping then to dessert for reasons which will become clear, I would insist on ‘bacon and egg ice cream’ by Heston Blumenthal, first sampled in his Fat Duck restaurant. Then number one on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list and holder of three Michelin stars, it was here, almost two decades ago, in this tiny dining room in the British countryside town of Brae, that I first fell in love with food. Nostalgia was the theme of the tasting menu and it brought tears to my eyes as I was swept up in a journey of around 16 courses celebrating the idiosyncrasies of an English childhood. This was more than food, this was life, and in the moments before my death, I’d like to go back there with a taste of the rich golden churned yolk complemented by sweet shards of crisp maple-smoked bacon.
- For my main course, I’ll take the highly poisonous fugu, or puffer fish, and finally see what all the fuss is about.
Dr Sophia Ledingham, author and psychologist:
- White baguette and salted butter (the bread at La Petite Maison is an excellent contender) served with Krug Champagne.
- Rib eye steak (medium-rare) with lashings of béarnaise, and a side of green asparagus (skip other veggies as I will not need the vitamins). Paired with a 15-year old Ribera del Duero red wine.
- Aged Comté and blue Stilton – served with Chateau D’Yquem.
- Hot chocolate fondant with passion fruit sorbet (or LPM’s warm chocolate mousse will suffice) and I would circle back to the Krug and Sauternes.
Tiffany Eslick, content director, Spinneys: At first, I thought trying to plan a last supper would be easy. I’d compile a menu comprising the best dishes from memorable meals I’ve had in my most favourite countries and that would be it. Thinking back to all the food I’ve been so fortunate to have tried in more than 60 destinations became overwhelming – fast. Would I choose that amazing crab curry on the street in Ho Chi Minh City? What about the 26 Nepali feast at the Dwarikas Hotel in Kathmandu? Or those sweet and sticky hotteok on the street in Seoul? Was there one stand-out Michelin-star experience I’d like to repeat? Or what about everything I’ve eaten on trips to Melbourne and Sydney? Trying to decide on a selection became an impossible task. And also – in all honesty – I actually kept thinking about breakfasts, brunches, lunches and dinners in South Africa, my home country. For me, a meal is not just about what’s on my plate, but also about being surrounded by my immediate family and our closest friends. And not being able to travel to the Cape, because of Covid restrictions, has meant that my general homesickness is heightened. So, right now, if I had to absolutely choose my last supper, I’d ask that I be allowed three courses, in a jumbled order, that I could enjoy from lunchtime into the evening.
- I’d start with a main of sizzling calamari served in a skillet at the Chapman’s Peak Hotel, which overlooks Hout Bay. A good couple of bottles of Life From Stone – a crisp white – would need to be present, too. The establishment is not that fancy, but I’ve probably ordered the same dish since I was old enough to talk and every meal here has provided lasting memories.
- Following a long, lazy coastal drive home, and a quick nap, it would be time for a platter of Franschhoek’s finest cheese, charcuterie and breads – with a good few glasses of Diemersfontein Pinotage – my preferred red grape. This could only be in our garden – a verdant safe haven, designed from scratch by my mother.
- Despite being an ardent chocoholic, my final dessert of choice would oddly be Christmas cake. No matter where we are in the world, mum’s fruity, nutty cake makes my festive season – so what better way to end off a final supper being merry!?
Anon guest reviewer AK: These are all home-made Indian delicacies (mostly with a Bengali lineage) that cover all the six Ayurvedic tastes of sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. Bengali starters are typically a diverse bunch of small portions, meant to tickle the taste buds and ready them for the main event. And I have to keep ample space for desserts with any Bengali meal.
- Starters – all small portions with rice: Korola bhaja (deep fried thinly sliced bitter gourd). Home-made ghee and khakri (burnt cream remains when making ghee). Pyaz poshto (poppy seed paste fried with onions – banned in Dubai!). Mocha ghonto (dry curry with banana flowers).
- Main courses: Chingri mustard curry (whole medium prawns in thin mustard based curry) OR crab curry from Calicut Paragon (a spicy crab in thick South Indian curry). Mutton curry with liver (mutton curry version that is more stew-like with a thin gravy).
- Desserts: Kool achaar (a sweet aromatic pickle with Indian plum). Notun gur kacha golla (Ricotta cheese balls with seasonal jaggery).
And here’s FooDiva’s: My last supper choices change constantly, in contrast to the creature of habit that I am as a person. I wonder what a psychologist (Dr Sophia?) would make of this dichotomy. There’s simply too many memorable dishes to boil them down succinctly. A little like having to choose a favourite restaurant, or even a favourite child I expect (I don’t have kids). So, as of publishing this post, here’s what I am condemning myself to eat one day. Looks like I am a little bit of a purist with my food choices.
- Given I try to low-carb as much as feasibly possible when am not reviewing, I would definitely have to start with BREAD GLORIOUS BREAD. Either Viking Bageri’s homemade Dubai baguette, still warm from baking. Or Irish malt bread. Or Flamingo Room By Tasha’s ‘roosterkoek’, a South African grilled bread. All with lashings of salted butter.
- Simultaneously, I would crack open my favourite bottle of Champagne. None other than a crisp ice-cold Ruinart Blanc de Blancs – with wine glasses chilled in the fridge prior. I am not a big drinker, much preferring quality to quantity, so I’ll sip these bubbles throughout my meal.
- Sydney rock oysters, or local Dibba Bay – cooked Kilpatrick-style with bacon and Worcestershire sauce.
- Hand-cut steak tartare with frites. The best I have eaten are at Bistro Des Arts in Dubai – and in Paris, at Le Comptoir Des Catacombes in the 14th arrondissement.
- Pork souvlaki kebab with sheftalies (Cypriot caul fat sausages) in pitta bread from The Butchery in Paralimni, Cyprus. My first take-out meal when landing back home in Cyprus every summer. Well apart from this year 🙁
- In line with the French (apologies to the Brits), cheese before dessert. A ripe and oozing Vacherin Mont D’Or cheese with the leftover baguette.
- I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but if I had to pick a star dessert, I would go for a French classic – either Crêpes Suzette flambéed at the table (or my bedside) – or Tarte Tatin. The latter from the long-gone institution Verre by Gordon Ramsay at Hilton Dubai Creek, where we had to order it on arrival.
Fancy a last supper dining experience perhaps?
A bientôt.
FooDiva. x
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